Choosing a college or university to attend can be a lot of work, and it can feel like a big commitment. That’s because it is!

The top video game design schools in the country are ranked and listed below. But before you decide on a video game school, you should spend time researching your options:

Read about each school to learn what they offer. Some schools only offer video game art, or only programming or design. Some only offer undergraduate degrees, or only certificates.

Research to find out whether each school has a good reputation. Not all schools are equal. Some have better reputations in the industry, and some have better success in placing graduates in game companies. See the Top 10 lists below.

Look on LinkedIn to see where their alumni work. If a school’s graduating students have jobs at game companies you love, it’s a vote of confidence for the school – it means the school teaches skills that game studios need.

Below are two “Top 10” lists of video game schools, as ranked by the Princeton Review. You can click through to each school, or you can use the search widget to find game design, art, or programming schools near the town where you live.

Remember: It can take a lot of time to do the research, but this is your future we’re talking about. It’s worth investing the time and effort to find a school that’s right for you.